Teaching Boys How to Read

Are boys really all snips, and snails, and puppy dog tails? Do they really have little interest in all things academic?

Someone shared a very interesting article with me recently. It's titled How to Raise Boys Who Read. Since I happen to have one of those critters living under my roof and attending our homeschool, I thought this might be a good read. I wasn't disappointed!

The author points out that a recent report by the Center on Education Policy states substantially more boys than girls score below the proficiency level on the annual National Assessment of Educational Progress reading test. This disparity goes back to 1992, and in some states the percentage of boys proficient in reading is now more than ten points below that of girls.

The article then goes on to describe how many publishers appear to be attacking this problem by catering to a boy's "untutored tastes". Which means a whole line of literature centered around crude humor often related to bodily functions. It also addresses the approach some parents are taking by bribing their sons to read using technology as a reward.

What a great opportunity we have as homeschoolers to help turn this trend on its ear and reverse those statistics. Homeschooling is all about learning to develop a love for reading, in both young girls *and* young men.

I love the author's ending comment ... I offer a final piece of evidence that is perhaps unanswerable: There is no literacy gap between home-schooled boys and girls. How many of these families, do you suppose, have thrown grossology parties?